The Tailor and the Cook
by marina7070
Summary: Candace and Chase have loved one another for as long as they can remember. When he suddenly leaves, saying goodbye to everyone but her, it sends her into a craze. She starts to change, and the memories of their time together are no longer fond. Then, he comes back. But will she love him again? Or did his leaving change their relationship forever? CandacexChase.
1. Chapter 1: Memories

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.**

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**_Chapter One: Memories_**

Candace's short, pale, nimble fingers moved quickly along the rim of the table, looking at the intricate designs carved into it. Her fingernails dug into the dents left over from the carving, feeling the lines of the mistakes made. Her blue eyes gazed at the swirls and leaves and stars, running her hands along the surface of the table next. The top was smooth, and a dark brown mahogany colour, with a flower vase on it for display. As she let her hands drop to her sides, the tips of her fingers brushing the carpeted floor, and flicked her eyes around the room for a moment before standing up.

"I'll take it."

Candace looked over at Barbara, who was now smiling widely, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. "Great," she said, walking over to her spot behind the counter stocked with jam and various other things. She pressed a few buttons on the cash register, typing in her order, then looking back over to the blue-haired girl. "Would you like help with taking that down to the shop? I'm sure Simon would be happy to help."

"Yes, please," Candace said, scratching the back of her neck with her hand. She then shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket, waiting for Simon to come and help her take the table down to the tailor's. She hoped he wouldn't take long to get up here from Harmonica Town, from his own store was. Barbara grabbed the phone and dialed him, while Candace was left looking at the pictures hanging on the walls.

If Chase hadn't left, she'd let him carry it, and of course he'd accept the challenge. He would take it down to the shop for her, holding the table in his big, strong hands, and then he would keep pretending to drop it just to make her shiver with fear. He would then smile at her, tell her he was kidding and that it would never fall from his hands, and then she would giggle and supress a huge grin. He always did that. He had always made her smile.

But not anymore.

"Candace," Simon said, waving his hand in front of her face. "Candace, are you ready to go?"

Candace snapped out of her daydream, giving him a small smile. He smiled back, grabbed the table in his pale, bare hands, and quietly asked her to open the door for him. She did so, and once he was out of the store she followed him silently.

The walk to Harmonica Town was peaceful and quiet. There was only a slight breeze, and even though it was winter it wasn't all that cold, despite the fact that Candace could see her breath. There wasn't a cloud in the clear, blue sky, and the sun shone upon the white crystal-like snow on the ground, causing it to shimmer and sparkle. Candace smiled, then stopped for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing in the crisp scent.

* * *

Once she arrived back in the shop, Candace directed Simon to the back of the store where their bedrooms were. He nodded, smiled, and asked Candace kindly to open the door for him, as his hands were busy at that moment. She nodded briskly, then pushed open the door and slid in before him, pointing to where she wanted it. He set it down, smiled at her, looked around cautiously before saying, "You have a very nice room."

Those words. Those six, simple words. One of the first things Chase has said to her when she arrived in Harmonica Town at age seven. He had followed her home from school, two days after she arrived, but she didn't see him because he kept hiding whenever she looked his way. She had entered the shop and he followed behind her secretly, then saying those six words once he found the bedrooms at the back. Shelly kicked him out, and Candace started crying. Not because someone saw her room, which she kept hidden from almost anyone except for her grandmother and her sister, but because Chase had to leave.

She loved him already, at such a young age.

Candace's smile faded, and her mouth turned into a prim line. "Thank you." she said, and although she was mad she wouldn't allow herself to be so angry in front of such a nice man. He smiled at her, then left the room in a quick flurry of assorted blues and yellows.

Candace walked over to her bed, which was, of course, made. She sat down, sitting with her legs stretched out in front of her, and then she flopped down onto her back, where she folded her arms on her chest and closed her eyes, unmoving. She could feel her chest moving up and down with every breath, every single moment. She attempted to stop the tears that were threatening to stream down her face. But as she sat up, all were let out, and waterfalls streamed off of her pink cheeks. She covered her face with her hands and curled into a ball, falling onto her side. She wept silently before Shelly called her in for dinner.

* * *

It was late by the time Candace exited the Ocarina Inn, holding a travel cup filled with a nice, iced coffee. She had gone to visit Maya, who had become one of her best friends once Chase had left. They would weep together, talking about the good times they had with him. Though Maya still loved Chase, she knew she would never get the chance because he was so in love with Candace. And now, because of their old times together, they hung out almost every night, painting their nails or drawing pictures or just plain out talking. It was nice, and although there was always a tension in the air between them since they both loved Chase so much, they could talk about anything. And they would feel at home, with each other, in the tranquility of Maya's room.

As Candace made her way down to the shop, her blue heels clicked against the icy walkway, and her breath swirled and spiraled into the black evening sky. Her nose was red and so were the tips of her ears, but she didn't really notice nor care. She could see the Christmas lights hung up around the village, lighting up the whole scene and making it look, well, _beautiful. _It just felt great to be out at night. But, something was different. A tingle in the air, an empty space beside her. A hole in her heart, matching someone else's in a faraway place.

Chase should've been there with her.

As Candace found herself in the doorway of the tailor's, she opened the door with her free hand. The bell hanging jingled, and then, as the door creaked to a shut, Shelly turned to face Candace, holding a black-and-white checkered scarf in one hand and a hat with the same pattern in the other. She looked at Candace, hands dropping by her side, and exclaimed, "Oh Candace, you're practically frozen! Get in here." She grabbed Candace by the hand, and led her to the bedroom, where she made her take off her coat and lay down in the bed. She tucked the sheets under Candace's chin and told her to wait a moment so she could get the water boiling.

A few minutes later, Shelly returned with a tray holding soup, a mug of hot chocolate, and some crackers. She set it on the dresser beside Candace's bed, then swept some hair from her granddaughter's face. She smiled warmly, and, sitting at the foot of her bed, she grabbed Candace's hand and held it tight.

And while she watched her granddaughter fall asleep, a peace came over her.

* * *

Early the next week, Candace had to start making presents for Christmas, which just so happened to be a few days away. It wasn't going to be hard or anything, though, since she had less people to make presents for then she had the years before. All she had to make was some clothes for Luna, some clothes for her grandmother, and maybe a couple of things for Maya. And maybe, just maybe, she would make something for Anissa.

Only if she had enough time.

Sitting up in her bed, she rubbed her tired eyes and looked around. The room was tidy – Luna must've started her housecleaning already – and there was a plate of food on the new table. Beside the eggs and bacon was a note, saying _Eat me! _Candace smiled, pulling the covers off and walking towards the plate. She sat down, grabbed the fork and knife, and started eating.

Halfway through the meal, though, Candace was interrupted by Luna. She ran in, panting, and holding a box in her small, pale hands, started yelling. "Candace Candace CANDACE!" she removed a hat from her head, threw it across the room and slammed the box onto the table. It was a dark, luxurious pink, with a cream coloured bow and a small purple envelope taped to one side. It was so sophisticated looking. "It's from JULIUS! OPEN IT!"

Candace winced as her sister started yelling, and calmly went back to eating whilst ignoring the ignorant pink-haired girl beside her. Once she heard that it was from Julius, she looked over at Luna and smiled a small smile. "It's probably a Christmas present, Luna," she said, brushing her wispy blue hair back into the normal braid. "He's away at a gem convention or something, after all."

Luna nodded, calming down and sitting at the end of Candace's bed. Her breath returned to normal, as did her pulse, and she started tapping her foot in anticipation. "Well, are you going to open it?" Luna demanded, reaching up and tightening her ponytail.

Candace shook her head, pushing the plate away from her. "It's not Christmas yet, you doof," she told her sister with a small smile. "I'll open it then."

Luna's frown turned into a dazed look. "Oh," she said, her hand falling down onto the pink bedspread she was sitting on. "Oh. Right." she stood up and walked over to the door, pushing it open and walking out with a thoughtful expression.

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**Alright guys. This is my first story uploaded on here, and I know I'm not the best writer yet, but I'm getting there so _please_ just bear with me. **

**The next chapter is finished (I've already written the first four) so expect that soon.**

**Bye!**

**(Note: I edited this so the punctuation has changed, in case it was bothering anyone, and it is probably still wrong so sorry 'bout that.)**


	2. Chapter 2: Christmas

**So, this is chapter two. If anything was weird in chapter one, like Candace maybe being OOC, please tell me. Remember, constuctive criticism is allowed. But no hate. **

**Hate is bad. **

**Anyway, here's chapter two! **

**Enjoy!**

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**_Chapter Two: Christmas _**

By late afternoon, Candace was already done stitching a matching pair of mittens for Luna and a nice, wool cap, with buttons on the side, for Maya. Her hands her raw and numb from all the work, and she dropped the sewing needles onto her bedspread. She reached her hands up to her head and took out her braids, running a hand through her messy blue hair. The girl sighed and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She rested her cheek on one of her knees and sighed, closing her eyes and drifting off into a light sleep.

It was only a few moments before someone interrupted her nap.

Luna rushed in, smiling, her eyes filled with joy. Her hands were clasped together, squeezing the other tightly, and with a huge grin she exclaimed, "Gill asked me to marry him, and I said yes!"

Candace, who had jerked up from her sleep almost the second Luna waltzed in, stared at her in utter shock. She didn't move at all, nor did she make a sound, and she hardly breathed a single breath. Her mouth was hanging open, and Luna walked over to shut it with a triumphant look. "He did w-what?" Candace stuttered, her eyes wide.

"He asked me to marry him!" Luna started twirling around the room, happily humming to herself. "It was so romantic! We were at the beach and he just did it in front of half the town! Of course, I said yes, because I love him! Wait, do I love him! Don't I? Yes, I do! But what if I don't!?" she walked over to Candace and started shaking her shoulders. "What if I love him more? What if he doesn't want to have kids? What if he wants to move? Will I really be ready for all of that? Do I want to get married, even? I'm just so young! I have so much to live for and I don't think I can hold down just one man! Candace, what do I do?"

Candace thought for a moment, the idea of their marriage sinking into her brain, then replied calmly. "First, get your hands of my shoulders. You have a death grip," she silently removed Luna's hands from her shoulders and they dangled down by her sister's sides. "Second, take some deep breaths. It will calm your pulse." She watched her sister as she did so, then holding her hand out as a gesture for Luna to stop. "Last, you need to make sure that you're serious about doing this. If you don't want to, or if you're not sure, then tell him you need time to reconsider your answer."

Luna nodded, sending her mane of pink her flying. "Alright. Thanks, Candy." She leaned over and kissed her sister on the cheek, the rushed out to go and speak with Gill.

* * *

Candace blue eyes shone as she opened the first present from her grandmother on the snowy Christmas morning. The present was a dress. It was dark blue in colour, with a belt of white satin around the waist and frills on the sleeves. It was long, which is how Candace liked it, and a string of buttons ran down the top half, stopping once they reached the belt. It would go perfectly with the black dress shoes Luna got her the year before.

"Oh, Grandma it's beautiful!" Candace exclaimed, standing up and running to the mirror in the corner of the room. She held the dress up to her chest and twirled, a huge grin plastered onto her pale face. "Thank you." she walked back over to her grandmother and hugged her, then folded the dress nicely and put it beside the shoes.

The next present she opened was Julius's gift. She removed the envelop from the side of the box and opened it, smiling when she saw the little kitten cartoon on the front of the card. She flipped it open, and inside of it was a small note in Julius' swoopy handwriting saying simply: _You're my shining star! Have a great Christmas. I wish I was there with you. xoxo, Julius_.

Inside the box was a little box. The box was navy blue and she opened it with care. In it was a silver star with little diamonds running down the sides, and a little tag was hanging off of it saying that it was for her. Once she saw the necklace, she took it out and wrapped it around her neck. Luna fixed the clasp, and as Candace looked down at the star dangling from her necklace, tears filled her eyes. "It's gorgeous," she said quietly, looking up at Luna with a stunned expression. "Absolutely gorgeous." She fingered the charm for a while before letting it go and watching Luna open her present from her sister.

It was a pink, floral blouse, with puffed sleeves and a bubble bottom. The little tiny little beads ran down the front and ended at the hem. When making it, Candace didn't really know what colours to use, so she used some blues, some purples, and a few really dark pinks. Luna looked up at her sister, exclaiming, "Candace! This is so AMAZING! Thank you!" She leaned over to her sister and hugged her tight, then released after she noticed the surprised look on Candace's face. She quickly got up and ran into the other room to change.

One of the last presents Candace opened was a gift from Maya. The box was sky blue in colour, and a little black-and-white polka-dotted bow sat lazily on the top of the box. There was a little box of candies taped to the top, and Candace took it off gently as to preserve the wrapping paper. She set the box of candies on the ground and silently but quickly opened the box with care.

Inside was a huge, blue mug with clouds and birds flying along the side. Sitting in the middle of the mug was a package of Candace's favourite hot chocolate, along with a little candy cane and a drawing of the two together. Candace smiled, mentally hugging her best friend. She put the cup to the side and continued on.

The rest of the morning was filled with happy smiles, comments on the gorgeous gifts given, a bunch of thrown wrapping paper, candy boxes, and friendship necklaces. The room was filled with merry laughter as the girls tried on their new clothes, putting on a fashion show for their grandmother, and occasionally tripping over things on the floor. By the time noon rolled around, everyone's cheeks were flushed and they were tired from just the smallest movement.

Just around one o'clock, Shelly excused herself from the bedroom to go and start on lunch. Candace and Luna let her go, and as they folded up their clothes and tucked them away into the drawers of the dresser, they gradually calmed down and stopped laughing as much. Once they had put everything away, they both laid down on their beds and closed their eyes for a bit of quiet time.

"Luna," Candace began after a long moment of silence, "can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Luna replied, looking over at her sister.

"Well . . ." she coughed into her sleeve and she struggled to think of a way to state the question properly. "Do you think Chase is ever going to come back?"

Luna heaved an exhausted sigh. "Candace, listen," she sat up, her mouth twisted into a prim line. "You need to get over him. He left, without a goodbye or a note or anything. He disappeared. And you loved him as much as you could love anyone. He's a jerk," she tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear and her eyes flicked around the room. "Julius is way better. He loves you a lot. He speaks to you. He makes you things. He sends you gifts and he treats you like a queen. He's better than Chase. And most importantly, he's better for you. You need to get over Chase."

"I know," Candace replied, running a hand through her loosely braided hair. "I know. It's just so hard, you know? He was with me for so long."

"I know, Candy," Luna stood up and walked over to her sister's bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leaning her head down on her shoulder. "But one day, you and Julius will be married, and you'll be the happiest girl in the world," she reached up and kissed her older sister's forehead, then stood up and held out a hand. "Now come on. Grandma will want help with lunch."

* * *

Just before five o'clock at night, the three tailors stood in front of the entrance to the Brass Bar, each holding a tray of food. Candace held a tray of meat in her small, fragile hands, Luna held a platter of assorted cheeses and a bowl of olives, and Shelly held a big pot of steaming hot soup in her arms.

"Are you sure the party starts at five?" Luna asked Candace, who then looked at the leather strapped watch on her arm.

"Yes, I'm sure." Candace replied quietly, almost inaudibly, and slowly pushed open the door with her free hand.

The first person they saw was Hayden, who greeted them heartily and allowed them to come in. He grabbed the two plates from the girls, stacked the trays on top of one another, and called Calvin over to help take the pot of soup to the buffet table. When he arrived, Calvin tipped his cowboy hat and Luna, waved to Shelly, and when he saw Candace he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"Howdy, Candace." he said gruffly as Candace blushed and took her hand out of his grasp. Looking around and standing on her tip-toes to see over his head, she opened her mouth a tiny bit to speak.

"Who else is here?"

Calvin thought for a moment, and while he was doing so he took the pot from Shelly. "Everyone from Flute Fields, Mira, Simon and Barbara, the mayor and Gill, everyone from the Fishery and Ocarina Inn, and a few others. We're still waiting for some people to arrive, though."

Candace nodded as he walked away from the three. Julius wasn't there, and although he promised Candace he would try to make it he might have been a little bit too tired from his trip. She mulled this over thoughtfully as her and Luna made their way through the crowd to find partners for the first dance.

After pondering about this for a moment, Luna walked up to Gill, who was watching Selena dance on the little stage set up. As she was holding her sister's hand, her grip tightened as she saw that Gill didn't notice she was approaching. Walking stiffly and fixing her blouse with her free hand, she cleared her throat and he turned to look at her.

"Hi, beautiful," Gill said as he noticed her floral top. "You look gorgeous tonight," he smiled at her and shifted his body towards her, grabbing her hand small hand in his rough one. "Would you like to dance?"

Luna nodded, her cheeks flushed with utter happiness, and she turned her head slightly to look and Candace expectantly. She released her sister's hand and grabbed Gill's other one, and he whisked her away on the dance floor, leaving Candace all alone.

About an hour later, Candace was sitting on the couch in the corner of the room with a drink in her hand and a plate of food in the other. She was watching Selena dance with Toby, and of course the red head did it with utter perfection. Candace could her giggle from across the room, and as she put the drink on the table beside the couch she rolled her eyes. Although she didn't like to say it, especially to Luna since Selena was her best friend, Candace wasn't particularly fond of the dancer.

Yes, she was pretty, and had gorgeous scarlet hair that looked beautiful in a bun. Yes, she was a dancer, which made her look skinny, one of the few traits most boys desired in a girl. And of course, she had that little extra thing that seemed to make every guy in the village swoon. But, Candace personally believed she was annoying and rude, especially when it came to bragging about her talent for dancing.

As she slowly picked various things off of her plate, Candace noticed that Calvin had been staring at her quite often. She didn't know why, but she had gone into the bathroom many a time to check if her hair looked bad or something like that. But every time, her hair looked the same, and when she returned to the main room he still he stared at her.

_Almost longingly_, Candace thought to herself as she pursed her lips in confusion.

After she finished the main course, which consisted of a bit of meat and some vegetables, everyone (including Candace) stopped dancing or singing or talking and lined up for dessert. Everyone got a slice of the large red velvet cake with green icing, a little bowl of fruit, and anything else they chose to take off of the table. Candace simply took one gingerbread cookie, a little cupcake, and a small cake pop, then took her plate and herself back to the couch.

Candace, having finished her dessert after a quite long period of time, watched oddly as Luke trotted over to her, smiling a wicked grin. He sat down beside her in the empty seat, and waited quietly for her to say something, but she, in fact, was waiting for him to do the same thing.

"Why are you here all alone?" Luke asked finally, turning his gaze towards her. "Don't you want to dance _extremely_ like me or something?"

"I don't dance that well," Candace said simply and quietly. "I don't know how to anyway."

Luke was thoughtful for a moment. "Well, if you stand up and grab my hands I can show you."

Candace did as asked, standing up and smoothing the wrinkles of her skirt before grabbing Luke's hands. They were warm, and it felt like her hands were made to fit inside of his.

Luke smiled. "Okay, put your hand on my shoulder, like this," he said, directing her hand movements until it reached the proper place. "Now, I'll put my hand on your waist and our other hands will stay clasped together, and then for the rest of the song you just sway around slowly."

Candace smiled at Luke, nodding. "Alright," she said, ducking her head shyly. He removed his hand from her waist and curled it under her chin, moving her head up so they would be face to face.

"You have a beautiful face and you need to show it off." he said, chuckling to himself. A light blush spread across her pale face and he chuckled some more. They released one another and sat down again, waiting for the next slow song to come on.

There was a short, awkward silence before Candace opened her mouth to speak. "Do you ever hear from Chase?"

Luke was silent for a moment. He did like Candace, a lot, but a bunch of other guys, including Chase, liked her, and he figured he would never have a chance with her. "Yes," he said, avoiding her gaze. "But not often."

"When's the last time you talked to him?"

Luke thought for a moment before answering. "The last letter I got from him was about a year ago," he said, a hint of sadness heard in his normally cheerful voice. "I replied, but he never replied back."

Candace nodded, looking down at her hands. "I see," she murmured thoughtfully, picking at a loose thread on her skirt.

Over the course of the next hour, small talk was exchanged between the two. Luke told of their memories spent together, of the times at birthday parties and picnics and festivals. Candace giggled from time to time, listening and making notes about things she remembered.

After forty minutes, Luke brought up a memory that Candace remembered like the back of her hand.

It was fourth grade. Well, it was for Candace. Luke was a couple of years older than her, so he would have been in grade six at the time. It was the day of the Summer Festival, and the two kids had gotten there earlier than the rest of their families. When they arrived, they went and played in the water for hours on end. They had swimming competitions, they played mermaids (which was slightly odd for Luke, but he didn't seem to mind), they had splashing battles, and they attempted to see who could hold their breath the longest. It was always Candace, of course. She always won.

By the time evening rolled around, their families got together and had a picnic dinner. Their families sat together while the two sat by themselves, leaning against the wall of the cliff. The split their sandwiches in half, giving the other child half of their own. They watched the sun dip below the horizon together, and just the second it disappeared Luke leaned over and kissed Candace on the cheek. She was stunned for a moment, before her hand found its way in his. And as the fireworks started, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

As Luke finished his last sentence, curious eyes trailed over to her face. She blushed, smiled, and swept some hair off of her face.

"Did you remember that?" he asked quietly, unnoticeably scooching closer to her.

"Yes. . ." she said, standing up slowly because she heard a slow song come on. "Now, let's go dance."

* * *

**I edited this chapter again. If any punctuation, spelling, grammar, or capitalization is wrong, feel free to tell me. Oh, and also, who do you ship the most: CandacexChase, LukexCandace, or CalvinxCandace?**


	3. Chapter 3: The New Year and the New Girl

**_Chapter Three: The New Year and the New Girl_**

Laughing and holding his hand, Candace fumbled her way through a slow dance. He dark golden eyes glittered in amusement as she stumbled forward slightly, then blushing and tilting her head to the ground. He hooked a finger under her chin again and pushed it up, and she smiled at him. She got a bit more graceful after that, only stepping on his shoes once or twice, and they made hushed conversation as the music swelled.

"Do you think Chase is ever going to come back?" Candace asked as Luke dipped her to the ground, only the tips of her hair brushing the floor. She came back up and they started dancing again, while Luke pondered on this question for a while.

"As much as I hate to say it, Candace, and believe me, I do, I don't think he's coming back. He wants to be a chef. He wants to live in the big city, where girls all around will flock to him. He wants to be noticed everywhere he goes. Here? Well, here it's a little bit different. Everyone already knows your name, even if you just arrived in town. There's not a lot of girls, and most of them are paired up already, so it's kind of hard to have girls flock to you. Our town is just too small for his big, extreme dreams," Luke said after thinking for a while. The song came to a slow, and as they let go of each other the music started up again, peppy and loud. He grabbed her hand and led her to the couch where they first sat.

They sat down, still holding hands. Their shoulders and knees were touching, and even though Candace felt a little bit uncomfortable she didn't move away. It felt kind of refreshing, having shut out most boys in the village for the longest time after Chase left.

That's when it all changed.

She turned to look at him, as he had been whispering her name for a couple of seconds, and raised a blue eyebrow. "Now you look at me," He smiled, leaned in, and suddenly, he pressed his soft lips against hers.

The first instinct that came was to kiss him back. The second instinct was to push him away and yell at him. She did neither, at least not for the first few seconds. Her eyes were wide with shock and confusion all at once and she didn't know what to do. Then, she pulled away, and as her eyes filled with tears she stood up and ran out of the bar.

As the doors closed behind her, she could hear the gasps and the shocked whispers coming from all of the villagers. She could hear Luna's heeled shoes tapping against the floorboards, and she could hear Luke cry out her name. But, just as she had done so many times before, she ran to the beach.

It was what she had always done. When she got scolded by her grandmother, she went to the beach to cry. When someone insulted her, she went to the beach to cry. When someone judged her clothing, she went to the beach to cry. She just felt calm there. The waves washing against her feet, the sun shining upon her pale skin, the sand squishing underneath the weight of her body. Sometimes, she would take her sketchbook and draw the sunset, or the clouds, or the lighthouse. Whatever she did, whether it was just sitting there or doing something productive, she felt at home.

Angrily ripping off her new shoes, she threw them angrily onto the sandy ground. She plopped herself onto the shore, covered her face with her hands, and sobbed into them, feeling the cold, icy water washing over her pale toes. She then pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her cheek on her knee. Tears silently streamed down her face, but in case anyone was looking for her she stayed silent.

The way he got her attention, the way he whispered her name into her ear, the way he leaned in and mashed his lips against hers. It was the exact same way Chase had always done it, and now that he was gone it felt so foreign. So strange.

And now, as she wept alone on the beach, all she could hear in her head was: _Why have you betrayed me?_

And the person speaking was Chase.

* * *

For the next few days, Candace isolated herself in her room. Not for anyone bad reason; she just personally believed that she had been spending too much time on boys and worrying about her appearance. So, she holed herself up in the back of the shop, sewing madly away at things she had to make for the shop. Since the winter was ending and spring was beginning, she would need some loose, light clothes for warmer weather.

She had already made a checklist of things to make: Dresses in assorted colours, hats, and shirts. The first thing she made was a yellow, knee-length dress with no straps and a pattern of slightly darker yellow flowers. She added a zipper at the back, and once she was done she made a little black belt to go with it.

Most of the other dresses looked the same – a light body colour and a slightly darker colour for the flowers, along with a black belt and no straps. But, the last dress she made was one of the most beautiful things she had ever created.

It was a halter top style, with red silk straps. The body was made from the same fabric, a dark silk red, but on the bottom of the dress was a small purple dragonfly. A purple velvet belt ran around the waistline, and the dress reached ankle level. She instantly put it aside for herself and made a purple cardigan to match.

By the end of the fifth day, she had made three dresses, not including the one she made for herself, two shirts, four hats, and one sweater. Shelly and Luna helped her with everything and she wanted to make more with their help because they would have to spend so much time together, like old days.

But, alas, her sister was begging her to go to the New Year's Festival with her, and after an hour of begs and pleads Candace had to say 'yes'. And who knew? Maybe she might have a little bit of fun.

When they arrived at the festival, the square (or circle, rather) was lit up with strands and strands of multi-coloured lights, twinkling away as the sun dipped below the horizon. Stands were set up, only a few, but almost all the villagers were gathered in the town, milling about and minding their own business.

Luna and Candace walked around holding hands, a sisterly thing to do, and the two looked at the decorations and the stands set up around town. Candace even took out her camera and took a few pictures, but by the time she clicked the button for her fourth picture Luna, snatched the camera away from her hands and shoved it into her leather bag.

"You need to experience it now, not think about it later," Luna said with a giggle as she dragged Candace up the steep slope. She practically had to drag Candace along to make her follow, since Candace knew where her sister was taking her. And she didn't like it one bit.

Luna was leading her to the roof above the school and the Mayor's house. It was Luna's favourite place to go, and she looked past the fact that the ground was always dirty and gritty and always had dead, wrinkled leaves flying across the broken tiles. Maybe it was because Luna could be alone up here, where she could rage about anything all she wanted to because no one could hear her, or because she loved the view of the seemingly endless ocean.

Candace believed it was the first option.

Just as the fireworks started, Luna poked her scrawny legs through the gaps in the balcony wall. She motioned for Candace to sit beside her, and although Candace despised the dirty ground she merely took off her jacket, laid it down on the marble-tiled roof, and sat down on top of it.

Halfway through the fireworks, Gill came up to join them, and sat down right beside Luna, not caring if the pants on his legs got dirty. He reached over and intertwined their fingers, then the pink girl leaned her head on his muscular shoulder.

Candace picked up her jacket and moved away from the two, setting it down a few metres away and leaning against the wall of the cliff. She heaved a sigh, and as she drifted off into a light sleep she could hear the soft thrum of music playing down below.

The next morning, Candace found herself awake and alert at six a.m. Not like it was unusual; she woke up at this time often, if not always. But she just felt alert that day. Like she was ready for anything bad that could happen.

She read in her bed for about an hour, reading a book entitled _The Lonely World: An Aspiring Tailor's Story. _She was quite a fast reader, if she did say so herself, and she sped through the first few chapters by the time to hour was over. So, she closed the book up, rested it on the dresser, and pulled away to covers to stand up.

She walked over to the door and pushed it open. When she got out, there was breakfast already set out on the table - cinnamon buns, grapes, and apple juice – and as hunger overcame her she sat down. She grabbed one cinnamon bun and a handful of grapes, then poured herself a small glass of apple juice.

Luna arrived in the dining area just as Candace finished her meal. The blue haired girl stood up just as her sister sat down, and she walked over to the sink to wash her dishes. She did the task within a minute, and as she walked back to the table she ran a hand through her messy, loose, blue hair.

"How'd you sleep?" Luna asked, and before Candace could answer she cut her sister off. "Me and Gill stayed up late, watching the stars and, uh, smooching. It was great, though, since we hadn't hung out alone for so long."

Candace herself had witnessed some of this smooching, and although she would never dare say it aloud, as she was never one to speak her feelings, Candace had felt jolts of jealousy coursing through her veins. She had to watch her sister kiss the person she was meant to be with, while Candace sat alone, not kissing anyone. She had left after a while, ashamed with herself and frankly just flat-out disgusted, and went back inside, to the safety of her warm bedroom.

"I slept well," Candace said, almost inaudibly, as she drew lines on the table with the tip of her finger. "I didn't end up staying up until midnight, though."

"Aw, that's too bad. After the fireworks were over Gill grabbed my hand and led me inside to his house, and then we sat around the fire and drew little pictures together with hot chocolate and cookies. My drawing was actually good – I'll show you later – but his just looked like a pile of lumps. Poorly drawn lumps, to be precisely correct!" Luna let out a laugh, pulling her pink hair back into a ponytail instead of the usual pigtails. "Anyone, he took mine and I took his and we each hung them up over our beds. Romantic, huh?"

Candace nodded, sending her beautiful blue hair flying around her shoulders. She continued to trace shapes into the table as Luna ran to help an early-morning customer when she heard the tingle of the shop's bell.

Candace, after changing, came out to greet the person. The second she walked out of the kitchen, though, she noticed that she had never seen this person before, let alone sell to them.

"I'm new," the brunette said, as Luna handed change back to the girl. "I bought the farm. It's still a little old, though, and I'll have to fix it up, but I think I'll make it work. Honestly, I've been through worse. When I was little, my family and I took a road trip, and I spent weeks in a little van with my annoying little sisters."

_Boy, this girl can talk. _Candace thought as she started sorting through the dresses on the racks. _I hope she can keep a conversation up with Luna, though, so I don't have to. _She pulled a blue dress curiously off the hanger and held it up to her chest, then shook her head and hung it back up. Candace herself was looking for new spring attire, and the one dress she had was certainly not enough.

The new girl stopped by Candace on her way out the door. Candace turned around slowly and smiled a small smile at the girl in return for her huge grin. The girl held out her hand, expectantly waiting for Candace to shake it, and chirped happily, "I'm Molly!"

"I'm Candace," Candace said as she slowly shook the girl's hand.

"Are you Luna's sister?" Molly asked, her voice keeping the same high tone. Candace nodded, her blue boot scuffing awkwardly at the ground.

"You two look nothing alike," Molly noted as she looked from sister to sister. "I guess it doesn't matter, though; my sister has black hair. Anyway, see you around!"

Luna shook her head with a grin as the door shut behind the new farmer. "She seems nice," she said with a giggle, looking over at her sister and hopping onto the counter. As she swung her legs back and forth, she looked around the shop. Her grin faded, and as she pursed her lips her tone became serious as she spoke.

"Candace, what do you think about me moving in with Gill?" Luna said in a quiet voice. "Mayor said that we could have the empty house up above the Inn, and we'll still be close to the shop so I can still work here. It'll be more private, you know? We can have dinners without going out or sitting in his house where his dad joins us. We could be alone. And of course, we'd have you over for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and we'll see each other just as often, but I wanted to get your opinion before I did it."

Candace looked to her sister and smiled wearily. "Just follow your heart."

"Um, alright. . ." Luna's voice was filled with uncertainty as she trailed off. Then, a small smile tugged at her lips, and she jumped off the counter, held her hand to her heart and declared that she indeed would move in with Gill.

* * *

**Alright guys! I know it's not much, but it's all I could squeeze out of this tiny brain of mine. I hate the way it turned out, though. Candace and Luna both seem to OOC and even though I've looked it up on websites, using the correct punctuation is still absolutely, positively the hardest thing about writing stories, for me. But this is what you're getting and this is probably it for a while. Exams are fast approaching and I need to get studying, along with getting ready for grad. Anyway, I love you all, and thank you for your support!**

**-Marina**


	4. Chapter 4: Dinner at Molly's

_**Chapter 4: Dinner at Molly's **_

The fifth day into the New Year found Candace walking along a dusty path towards Molly's new ranch, alone and inside a bubble of pure bliss. The wind was not blowing at all, and only the slight chirps of faraway birds was heard. Candace sighed deeply. The day was so beautiful.

And not to mention warm. The snow lining the streets had melted away a bit, and although it was still windy the air didn't seem to have an icy chill to it. The water was ever so slightly warmer, and on the way Candace had stopped at the beach.

Half an hour later, Candace stood in front of the new farmer's home, holding a box with a dress stuffed inside. Molly had called a couple days earlier and asked for a custom dress, which Candace easily made. It was a dark forest green, and it had a scoop neck and puffed sleeves. It went slightly above her knees, which Candace thought was a little strange until Molly told her she would wear it with tights. Candace gladly obliged, and accepted the challenge with ease.

"Hello, Candace? My oh my, is that my dress? You made it so fast! Please, come in, come in!" Molly spoke very fast, and before long Candace was dragged into her house.

The walls were a rich cream colour, as well as most of the furniture. A bookshelf leaned against the back wall, a bed was tucked away behind a little screen, a small kitchen was in the other corner across the room, and the floorboards were a dark chocolate brown. A dining table with four chairs was in the middle of the room, and other pieces of various furniture types were scattered around the room. Candace desperately wanted to organize the mess on the ground, but something in her mind, a little voice, told her not to.

Molly led the young seamstress over to the dining room table, where she made her sit down. She started up happy conversation as she made the two hot chocolate, and when she came to sit down across from Candace she started talking about her farm.

"The roof was worse when I first got here. Almost all of the tiles were either broken or not even there anymore." She twirled a strand of brown hair around her finger. "I got Dale to come and fix them the same day I arrived. He said it was free since I was new and I didn't have much money. It was so helpful, and when it rains I only have to put a couple of pots around the house to catch water."

As Molly kept speaking, Candace played with the paint on her fingernails and watched the time fly by. First one hour, then another, and by the time Molly was done talking it was much past dinner. Apologizing, Molly got up and scurried to the phone. She grabbed it and ran back to Candace, handing it to her. "Ask Shelly if you can stay for dinner." She sat down again, and waited, tapping her foot against the ground.

Candace dialed her grandmother's phone number and held the phone to her ear. It was about to go to the message when her grandmother picked up. "Hello?" she asked, and Candace could hear her sewing machine running. "Who is this?"

"It's Candace, grandma," Candace replied, a smile sliding onto her face.

"Oh! Candace! Oh, oh, oh! Hello!"

"Hey, grandma, can I stay for dinner at Molly's?"

"Oh, of course you can," Shelley replied. "When will you be home?"

Candace covered the end of the phone with one hand and asked Molly when she would be going home.

"Oh, any time is fine," Molly replied, smiling. "You could even sleep over if you'd like."

Candace nodded, uncovering the phone. "I'll be home by eight or so. Is that okay?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Shelley said. "Have fun, dear!"

"Thanks grandma!" Candace replied, and she hung up the phone.

Molly grabbed the phone and trotted back over to the wall, where she hung it on the receiver. She then motioned Candace to the counter, handed her an apron, and bent down to get some pots out of the cupboard. Three pots and one pan sat on the counter, and the water boiled in one of the pots. "What would you like?" Molly asked.

Candace though about it. She didn't want to eat anything messy, nor did she want to eat anything tasteless. She could have some meatloaf, or some salad, or a hamburger without ketchup. She was about to ask for a salad when another thought came to mind.

"Spaghetti," she answered. Chase hated spaghetti, and if she was going to get over him, she would need to stop remembering things he liked. She personally liked spaghetti, and one time when she told Chase it, he argued that a baby could make it and it wasn't good enough for him. She let him win the argument, because in all honesty, she hated fighting with him.

* * *

Dinner was a lovely affair. Although Candace was not one who usually chatted with many folk, nor was she one who felt comfortable around people who were not her family, Molly made her feel at home. They talked about their home lives, and Molly told Candace what she enjoyed about Castanet. One of the things she enjoyed was the beach.

"It has a beautiful view," she said, "and it is a very nice place for a picnic. I took a friend down there a day or two ago, and we took a small barbeque and cooked some burgers and hot dogs. A couple of other people joined us too, and then we played football."

"Luna always takes me there on the first day of summer, and sometimes our grandmother comes with us," Candace said.

"We should go for a picnic there tomorrow, maybe, or the day after."

"Yeah, that would be very nice."

Soon, it was time for dessert, and Molly cleared the plates from dinner away. She piled them in the sink, one on top of the other, and took two small plates down from the cupboard. She pulled a cake from the oven - chocolate, her favourite flavour - and cut two large pieces and put them on the plates. She walked over to the table, set them down, and sat down in the spot she had been sitting in before.

"So where did you used to live?" Candace asked quietly, poking the piece of cake with her silver fork.

"In a small town. At least a week's drive away."

"What was it like there?"

Molly thought about this question for a moment as she ate her cake. "Well, it was bigger then Harmonica Town and it had much more buildings. It had several inns and clothing stores, and had many other stores as well. It had a bakery and a florist and a furniture store and a place where they sold pets and several other places. They had an arcade, too."

"What's an arcade?"

"You don't know what an arcade is?"

Candace sat quiet for a moment, trying to remember if she had heard it before, but she sadly had not. "I have never heard of an arcade," she said, the tip of her index finger pressed against her bottom lip, "but can you tell me about it?"

"Let's see," Molly said. "Well, it's normally really large, with some special lights hanging from the ceiling. There's a glass counter with prizes underneath the surface of the counter and a register. Behind the counter are more prizes that are bigger then the ones under the counter. Normally, the counter is pushed against the wall, but sometimes it can be in the middle of the room and it can have the counter running around the shelf with the bigger prizes.

"Anyway, the counter is normally where you buy the tokens. The tokens are used to play the games. The games, of course, are enormous machines with buttons and levers and slots where you put the tokens. The games can range from sports games to games about strength to games about luck. The machines are lined up, row after row, and there's hardly any machine that isn't used at least twice a day. When you win the games, you get tickets, and before you leave you can exchange the tickets for points.

"With the points, you can buy the prizes at the counter. Sometimes, there's lame stuff like erasers and bracelets that break if you where them more them once, but there's also stuff that is amazing. One time, my cousin got a robotic dinosaur that was controlled by a remote, and it was bigger then that cake." Molly pointed to the cake on the counter, which was actually very large. "I got a shirt once, too, with some sort of logo on it. I still have it. It's in my dresser."

"That sounds really awesome," Candace said.

"It is," Molly said. "You could come to my place at Christmas and we could go try it out. It's amazing, really, and you can sometimes play there for hours and only have it feel like twenty minutes."

"We should ask Hamilton to build one," Candace suggested a few minutes later as she tugged on her thin coat, slipping on her shoes. It was late and it was time for her to get home. Molly said that it would take more then two years to build one and get all the machines and it would just be easier to go to Molly's old one.

"The machines are super expensive, too. More then five thousand dollars for some, even higher to ones that are older." Molly folded plastic wrap over a plate with three pieces of cake on it and handed it to Candace.

"Thanks for dinner," Candace said as she edged closer and closer to the door.

"It was nothing," Molly replied with a smile. "You did most of the work anyway, so you can thank yourself. Be sure to give Luna a piece of the cake, too, along with your grandma."

"Will do," Candace replied as she pushed open the door.

A burst of cold air sailed into the house and pressed against Candace. She quickly started running down the pathway, knowing where to go after living on Castanet her entire life. Soon, she stopped running, and slowed into a leisurely walk. The girl blinked, looking around, and smiled. She had always enjoyed the island at night, with its peaceful and serene landscape and the moon shining down onto the land. She skipped happily, whistling a cheerful tune as she went over the bridge leading into the town.

She started to walk again as she approached her house. Although it was very late at night, the lights were on and shining, and muffled voices came from within. Candace just assumed it was her grandmother talking to Luna, or a customer who needed an emergency coat or pair of boots, but when she got closer she heard a male voice. It sounded a familiar, but she had no recollection of who it might be. She pushed opened the door, shouted a happy greeting, and walked into the dining room.

Sitting at her table was Chase.

* * *

**Finally, it's back. Have you ever stopped doing something for a while then started doing it again and then realized how much you missed it? That's ****_exactly _****how I felt about this story. Anyway, I know it isn't that good, but I wanted to make it long so that I didn't just skip dinner and reveal Chase at her house. Speaking of Chase, his story for the last year/couple of years is coming up in the next chapter. Thank you guys for all the views! **

**-Marina**


	5. Chapter 5: An Unhappy Surprise

_**Chapter Five: An Unhappy Surprise**_

"Candace." Chase stood up, his arms out, and smiled.

He looked nothing like he did the last time she saw him. He had a thin coat of stubble on the bottom half of his face. His hair shed its blonde, boyish quality and was replaced with a ruddy golden colour. His eyes, which were normally purple and wide, were sagging, and underneath them were dark bags the colour of coal. His teeth were not pearly white as they had once been, but were a light shade of yellow. He did not look like Chase. He looked like a homeless man.

Candace stared at him. The plate of cake fell from her feeble hands and dropped onto the floor and crumbs flew everywhere. Her mouth dropped, her eyes went wide, and she did not say a thing. Her body went rigid, as if she suddenly became an ice statue.

Chase ran to her and embraced her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulled her close. He kissed her on the cheek - although his body decayed, his lips stayed soft - and put a steady hand on the back of her head. His nose buried into her soft hair, and tears of happiness slipped down his cheeks.

At first, she did not know what to do. She debated whether or not she would hug him back. If she hugged him back, he would automatically be forgiven, and she could not hold anything against him. If she ignored his hug, she could be as angry as she wanted for as long as she wanted. She made up her mind, and shoved him away angrily, tears streaking her cheeks and falling from her blue eyes.

"Candace?" Chase asked. "What's wrong?"

"You left me!" Candace shouted. "You left without a single word! You acted like nothing was going wrong, and the next day you disappeared! Just DISAPPEARED! You said goodbye to everyone else but me! Do you know how that felt?! No! You didn't! Because you don't care about me! You don't care about how I feel! You don't care about my emotions and you don't care that I literally considered suicide because of YOU! And then you come back here and act like NOTHING is WRONG? Get out of my sight!"

Shelly wrapped her hands around Candace's waist and, with Luna's help, pulled her into the back bedroom. The two emerged a minute later and locked the door behind them, sitting down at the table. Shelly motioned Chase to sit down with them. He did so, and no words were exchanged for a few moments. Then Luna decided to speak up.

"You had no right to come back here," she growled. "You can't waltz on in here and act like nothing happened. She totally has the right to be angry and you don't even deserve her anymore. You-"

"Luna," Shelly said calmly, placing a hand on her granddaughter's arm, "please get some sleep. Chase needs his own and if you would like to yell at him, yell at him after he gets a good night's rest. For now, he just gets a stern scolding. I'll send him away after. I'll rent him a room at the Inn."

"He doesn't deserve-"

"He deserves a nice place to stay," Shelly interrupted. "Now go on. I will not ask you again."

"Fine." Luna stood up, stuck her tongue out at Chase, and crossed her arms as she unlocked the door and walked into the back room. Shelly followed and locked the door behind her after she had gone. She resumed sitting at the same place at the table and folded her hands firmly in her lap.

"I know it was wrong for me to come back here," Chase said, "but I had no where else to go. I though that she might take me in and that she might be happy to see me, but I realize I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"I am not the one you need to be apologizing to," Shelley replied. "But if you want Candace to forgive you, you will have to explain to her why you left and why you are back. First, explain it to me. I would like to have some light shed on the subject as well."

After Chase had left, he tried to make it to a city that was more then a week's drive away. He wanted to be a famous chef and he wanted to be on TV and he wanted Candace to watch him and be proud of him. After he arrived, he rented an apartment in the worst neighbourhood possible. There were gunshots every night and his place had been broken in more then ten times. During the day, he strolled around, looking for work as a chef or even just a bartender. During the night, he went to bars and parties and got drunk. Half of the time, he arrived home at five a.m., and he slept for more then fourteen hours most of the time.

After a month or so, he finally got a job, but it was not the one he wanted. He cleaned up a studio after they finished filming a cooking show. Sometimes, he tried to sneak in and watch them film, but guards only let people with tickets inside the filming. Once, he tried to copy a ticket, but the guard noticed it was a fake. He was fired, and then he spent both days and nights trying to get a job.

Finally, he got a mediocre job, working at a bar from 5 o'clock p.m. until 4 a.m. He met plenty of ladies and occasionally went home with someone. He worked there for two whole months and got paid a small amount of money, but he did get to meet a lot of different people. One night, when one of his bartender friends got drunk, the guy's wife came to pick him up. But she ended up taking Chase home. They dated for about a month and went on public dates. She was a lawyer, so she got plenty of money, and took him to music festivals and orchestras and trips to the beach and to political events. But she broke it off because her husband found out. Chase, unhappy and alone, quit his job and lost his apartment.

He was on the streets. He tried to get more jobs, find someone to let him room with them, begged for money. But nothing worked. He spent his nights alone, sleeping in cardboard boxes or behind dumpsters in parking lots. Sometimes, he even tried to climb onto roofs of buildings, but people caught him and threw him out. He was alone, cold, and missed Harmonica Town more then he ever had.

So he made the decision to try and make it back. He got rides on buses with money he begged for, walked, hitchhiked, and sometimes he stole bikes from people's houses and never returned them. He often did not have a place to stay at night and slept in dumpsters and in ditches and climbed trees and slept in them. He finally realized that he might not ever make it back and he would be dead by the next morning. But the thought of his friends kept him going, and soon, he finally arrived at a town close to Harmonica Town. He stayed there for a bit and, with the help of the locals, ate some of the first food he had had in days and got some sleep. With a backpack full of granola bars and some extra clothes, he made the long stretch home.

"And then I came here." His hands were wrapped around a mug filled to the brim with hot cocoa. "I thought she might be happy to see me, as I have said before, but I just got shoved away and yelled at."

Shelly took a sip from a cup of coffee. "I know she's angry now, Chase, but she'll forgive you soon enough. Especially if you tell her your story. It's very sad, Chase, and at first she won't realize how sad it really is. But it'll start to dawn on her and even though it will take a while, she will forgive you."

"Can I do anything to help her forgive me?"

"Do work around the store, give her gifts, talk to her, try to make her happy. Try and make her forget that you left her and that you did not say goodbye."

"I though you might understand it, Shelly," Chase said with a weak smile.

"I do understand. Now come with me. If Jake's not up we will wake him. I know he'll be happy to see you back and he won't mind giving you a room this late at night." Shelly stood up, pushed in her chair, and reached for his bag. "Now come on, Chase, let's go." She tossed it to him and made her way to the door.

"Are you sure she'll forgive me, Shelley?'

"Positive."

Candace woke up early in the morning and, after forgetting what had happened the evening before, was as cheerful as possible. She happily puttered around the small kitchen and made breakfast, whistling a happy tune, and set a plate of cinnamon rolls on the table. She made a pitcher of juice and washed a bowl of strawberries and started to eat when Shelly and Luna came into the kitchen and sat down with her. They were confused at why she was acting so happy, but Shelly told Luna that she was just stunned and would try to ignore it for a while. Act like it was all a dream. After breakfast, Shelly and Luna got dressed and started making their way to the Inn.

When they arrived, they saw Maya attending to Chase. She was rubbing shampoo into his hair and soaking his feet and shaving his stubble. She was happy to see him, but just like Shelly, she was scolding him. "-leaving her without a single word. You're so ignorant to come back and . . . Oh, hello Shelly, Luna. How are you two today?"

"We're fine, Maya, thank you for asking," Luna replied coldly.

"Anytime," was all Maya said, and she hurried to retrieve some sort of lotion from her bedroom.

"Hello, Shelly. Hello, Luna. How was your sleep?" Chase leaned back and smiled at them.

"Bad knowing you're in town," Luna growled.

"Luna, please calm down. I scolded him last night and he's tired out."

"Grandma, you told me that-"

"I know what I said," Shelly said calmly, "but I have changed my mind. Everyone does it Luna, and I ask that you forgive me. You change your mind often and I always forgive you. Now, go back home, unless you want to help me deal with Chase."

"I'll help," Luna muttered, taking a seat behind Chase's chair. She shed her coat, threw it on the ground, and pushed up her sleeves. She did not enjoy getting her clothes dirty. She rubbed her hands together and started massaging the shampoo into his hair when Maya came back in the room. Shelly took a seat at his feet and started washing them with a bar of soap.

A cloud of dirt floated around his feet she dipped them into the large silver tub. She rubbed her hands with the bar of soap and scrubbed his feet. Luna kept mixing the shampoo into his hair as Maya scrubbed lotion on his arms and legs. By the time each one of them was finished, he looked brand new, and he struck a pose. Each one of the ladies let a laugh escape their lips.

After Shelly and Luna had left and Maya disappeared into the bathroom to have a shower, Chase tugged on a spare coat of her father's and started walking around town. Whenever he saw someone, he avoided them, and he did a lot of sneaking through the shadows and taking detours through town. He strolled up the pathway past the old farm when someone stopped him.

"Hello!" The girl called, running up to him as her bucket flailed about.

"Oh, um," Chase scratched the back of his neck with his right hand, "uh, hello."

"Who are you? What's your name? Do you live here, because I visited everyone when I arrived and I didn't see you? Have you met Candace? She's so nice, isn't she? Her sister is nice too, have you met her?"

"Um . . ."

The girl smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Look at me, demanding answers when I haven't even introduced myself!" she exclaimed. She set her bucket on the ground, wiped her hands on her overalls, and held out her left hand. "I'm Molly. And you are?"

"Chase," he said as he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Would you like to come inside? It would be more comfortable if we were inside instead of talking in the windy outdoors. Come on, come on." Before he could let go she tightened the grip on his hand and started dragging him over to the house.

She made him sit down at the table and hurried into the kitchen to make him hot chocolate. "I'll ask you one question at a time, then," she said as she brought the two mugs over. "Do you live here?"

"I used to," Chase replied, taking a small scalding sip from the mug.

"And why did you come back?" Molly asked as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"My plans did not work out."

"I see. Do you know Candace?"

Chase was silent for a long, long moment. He debated whether or not he should tell her. At first, he thought that maybe Candace called before and wanted to get some answers, but then he realized that she would never do that. He still debated whether or not to tell her, but he finally did. "I do," he said quietly. "I used to date her."

"Oh, cool. How was it?" This girl had many questions, but Chase wanted to answer them.

"Nice," he replied.

For the next hour, Chase explained to Molly the last few years in detail. She did not interrupt, nor did she ever get up and leave. She listened quietly, occasionally sipping at her tea or tugging a string on a stray string that hung from the table cloth. By the time he was done, she wiped her eyes with a napkin, and gave him a weak smile. "Does she know?" she asked.

"Not yet, but I plan on telling her."

"When?"

"Soon, Molly. Don't worry."

"I hope she forgives you," she said after a few minutes of silence.

"I think everyone thinks that," he said sarcastically.

"Well, I really mean it," Molly said hotly.

"I'm sorry."

"No problem," Molly replied quietly. "Would you like a refill?"


End file.
